If you ask anyone what mining looks like to them, they will likely describe a large hole complete with big yellow dump trucks and excavators moving tonnes of dirt – an ‘open cut’ mine, or dark underground tunnels filled with workers wearing helmets and headlamps – an ‘underground’ mine. These types of mines have historically been – and are still – the most common types of mines found across the world. However, there are others – one of which is in situ recovery or ISR mining, a technique that has been used since the 1970s in Australia, the United States, Kazakhstan, China, and Russia to mine potash, salt, uranium, and copper.

What is in situ recovery mining?

• In situ, recovery mines use fluid to recover minerals from the ground without digging and moving tonnes of earth as in an underground mine.
• It involves pumping lixiviant (mining solution) underground to mobilise valuable minerals from the ground. The fluid is then pumped back to the surface and sold as the rest of the solution is sent back through the rock to recover more minerals. Engineers continue this process until there are no longer minerals and the mine is closed. 
• Depending on the properties of the mineral deposit, the fluid that will most effectively liberate the minerals may be either acidic or alkaline. Figure 1 shows the in situ recovery process, showing the location of the mineral deposit, the circulation of fluids, and the wells placed around the mining zone that demonstrate control of the mining process.

Why then is in situ recovery only used for some mines?

• Water moves freely throughout rocks and the soil. 
• minerals can be mixed into water and pulled out of the ground. 
• Minerals can be recovered from solution.
• Such solutions can be contained in the local environment
• The process can occur with limited damage to the environment. 
• the overall process can be undertaken economically.

IN-SITU Mining at COBRE Ltd. 

1. Results say that the project has over 40 kilometres of drilled test copper-silver mineralisation with a consistent grade and an exploration target exploration target that could deliver substantial returns to shareholders.
2. The company is feasible for the In-situ process at the site.